SynthesisNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2026
Therapeutic exercises and its impact on fatigue, physical endurance and exercise tolerance in late-onset muscular dystrophies: a systematic review & meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMuscular dystrophy (MD) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscle degeneration, leading to fatigue, reduced endurance, and impaired functional capacity. Evidence regarding the role of therapeutic exercises in late-onset muscular dystrophies (LOMD) remains limited and inconclusive.
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to September 2025. Eligible studies evaluated the effects of therapeutic exercises on fatigue, exercise tolerance, and aerobic capacity in individuals with LOMD. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model.
resultsEight RCTs involving 501 participants were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated small, statistically non-significant effects of therapeutic exercises on fatigue (SMD = -0.20; 95% CI: -0.72 to 0.33; p = 0.46), exercise tolerance (SMD = 0.16, 95% CI: -0.06 to 0.38; p = 0.15), and aerobic power (SMD = 0.12; 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.48; p = 0.51). Heterogeneity ranged from low to high across outcomes.
conclusionTherapeutic exercises appears to be a safe adjunct intervention and may provide small, although statistically non-significant, improvements in fatigue, exercise tolerance, and aerobic capacity in individuals with LOMD. While the findings suggest potential clinical benefits, the limited number of high-quality trials and heterogeneity warrant cautious interpretation. Further large-scale, well-designed RCTs are required to establish definitive evidence.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42420535What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.